The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

Critique Partner Best Practices With Julie Artz | SCC 237

Julie Artz helps status quo busting writers slay their doubt demons and get their stories reader-ready. She is an Author Accelerator-certified Founding Book Coach and a sought-after writing instructor and speaker. She regularly contributes to Jane Friedman and Writers Helping Writers, and is an instructor for AuthorsPublish. A consummate social justice minded story geek, Julie lives by an enchanted river in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband, two naughty furry familiars, and two college-aged children who occasionally manifest.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@julieartz
Substack: https://julieartz.substack.com
Is Your Story Reader-Ready? Take the quiz to find out: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/68599ba553e03200150eff41 
This month, I'm running my FREE critique parnter matching service, CP Meet Cute. Join the fun at https://www.julieartz.com/cp-meet-cute by October 24 and get paired with like-minded writers before the year is out!

Historical Fantasy With A Military Portal Twist With Chris Pourteau and Nick Cole | SCC 236

Chris Pourteau is the bestselling author of the sci-fi thriller novels of the SynCorp Saga (co-authored with David Bruns), the post-apocalyptic Serenity Strain novels, and the military sci-fi collection Tales of B-Company. His first novel, Shadows Burned In, earned the 2015 eLit Book Awards Gold Medal for Literary Fiction. The Lazarus Protocol, the first novel in the SynCorp Saga, placed in the Top Ten in Read Freely's 2018 50 Best Indie Book of the Year contest; it was the highest-rated Sci-Fi novel in the contest.
He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded. His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum. 
When he’s not writing, editing, or working the dayjob, Chris loves exercising regularly, watching shows like Star Trek and Stranger Things, and reading his favorite authors. Those include Bernard Cornwell, Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Edgar Allan Poe, and Max Collins. He lives in Texas with his wife, son, and two dogs. (He’s a HUGE dog person, by the way.)
Find out more about Chris and his writing through his newsletter. Sign up and get free stuff at https://chrispourteau.com/newsletter.
Nick Cole is a former soldier and working actor living in Southern California. When he is not auditioning for commercials, going out for sitcoms or being shot, kicked, stabbed or beaten by the students of various film schools for their projects, he can be found writing books.
Bronze Age Sword and Sorcery meets Military Fantasy in a lost world of long ago…Flying Ace Mason “Mace” Dickson was once a legend among fighter pilots. Now, in his middle years, that storied life is a distant memory—until NASA drafts Mace for a black book flight test. He’s transported to a strange world forgotten by time, where he wakes on the desert sands of a bloody battlefield. In this land, warfare isn’t fought from the skies at a distance. It’s vicious and hand-to-hand, and arcane spells can kill a man just as quickly as spear or sword.
Mace is pressed into service as a slave for the Black Legion, a renowned company of mercenaries under the banner of the splendid Atlantian Army of the West, currently besieging the fabled City of Serpents. The Legion is the tip of the Atlantian spear aimed straight at the heart of the power-mad Thuman Evol, who marshals red sorcerers, armored war-dinosaurs, and a host of grim fighting men to oppose them.
Out of his depth, Mace is trapped in a no-holds-barred contest of gritty grunt infantry, massive war machines, and strange sorcery, where the soldiers, NCOs, and battle captains of glorious Atlantis fight the enemy and sometimes one another for eternal honor, glory, and ultimate power.
In this brutal world, ruthless circumstances force Mace to face at long last his inner demons. Inspiring him to persevere is the burning desire to return to his family for one more second chance at redeeming a life he once surrendered to fading glory and the bottle. But first he must survive the crucible of deadly magicks, backstabbing intrigues, and the utter savagery that is the lost world of Atlantea...
First, Mace must live through hell...

Building a Launch Plan Timeline With Craig Martelle #IndieSummer | SCC 235

Our #IndieSummer journey comes to an end this week, but it's not a finish line that awaits us, this is just the beginning. Today Indie author powerhouse Craig Martelle joins us to talk about building a plan to launch your work into the world and to see the success that book deserves. 
Craig is a million-selling author of science fiction (post-apocalyptic, military sci-fi, and space opera), thrillers, and non-fiction. 
Craig retired from the Marine Corps after a long career in the military intelligence community, having worked with most of the U.S. Government's three-letter agencies. After a short stint with physical security, Craig went to law school, graduated summa cum laude, and went into business consulting. From intelligence, to the inner workings of company board rooms, to on-the-ground leadership, Craig has seen it firsthand. 
His books are an extension of his experience, putting the trials and tribulations of a fast-paced world into your hands. Whether in Science Fiction, Thrillers, Fantasy, or even his Non-Fiction, you'll find consistent themes of justice and doing right by those who are counting on their leaders. Leadership is a service, not a crown to lord over others. 
No matter where Craig went, he always had a book with him. Thanks to 21st Century technology, He now has thousands of books at his fingertips and with him wherever he goes. How many books would he have read on deployments had he not had to carry a physical book? 
No one is encumbered like that now. Craig loves the works of Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, Andre Norton, JRR Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and so many more. He has been compared to Andre Norton and that is humbling - she was an incredible author with a huge list of novels to her credit. With every new book, Craig aspires to live up to those that you, the readers, have compared him to.
Through a bizarre series of events, Craig ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. He never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year. But that's the way it is. It is off the beaten path. He and his wife get to watch the northern lights from their driveway. Their dog has lots of room to run, just until temperatures reach fifty below zero. They have from three and a half hours of daylight in the winter to twenty-four hours in the summer.
It’s all part of the give and take of life. If they didn’t have those extremes, then everyone would live in the sub-arctic.

Cozy Action-Packed Mysteries With Chrystal Schleyer | SCC 234

Chrystal Schleyer lives in South Carolina with her husband and children. Tucked away in a little black house on an old hay field, she happily lives in the middle of nowhere. 
When not writing or reading, she can be found outside with her ever growing number of animals or scouring the shelves of the nearest thrift store. 
A celebration at a turn-of-the-century manor takes a deadly twist, and everyone becomes a suspect.
Twin brothers Easton and Weston are both in love with their childhood best friend Eloise. But headstrong Eloise prefers the younger brother, Wes, which is why she is heartbroken when, unexpectedly, Wes proposes to an heiress, and Eloise finds herself engaged to Easton—the twin she cannot stand. Then, during a week of celebration, Wes is poisoned. Murmurs of nightshade slip through the manor, and everyone seems to have a motive.
Was it Della Drewitt—the heiress reluctant to marry Wes? Or did Easton decide killing his brother was the only way to secure Eloise’s affections? Or was it the housemaid Violet, Wes’s previous lover?
As guests turn into suspects, attempts to kill Wes become more relentless than the storms churning the estate—who wants him dead, and why?

Newsletters: The Cornerstone Of Author Marketing With Jason Anspach #IndieSummer | SCC 233

Jason Anspach joins us today to talk about the importance of your author newsletter. If you had nothing at your disposal but a newsletter filled with people that enjoy your work, could you build an indie author business? We'll talk about it with Jason. 
JASON ANSPACH (1979- ) is the award-winning, Associated Press Best-selling author of Galaxy's Edge, Wayward Galaxy, and Forgotten Ruin. He is an American author raised in a military family (Go Army!) known for pulse-pounding military science fiction and adventurous space operas that deftly blend action, suspense, and comedy.
Together with his wife, their seven (not a typo) children, and a border collie named Charlotte, Jason resides in Puyallup, Washington. He remains undefeated at arm wrestling against his entire family.
Galaxy's Edge: www.InTheLegion.com
Author website: www.JasonAnspach.com

Perfect Plots Using The Plot Grid With Claire Fraise | SCC 232

Are you a plotter or a pantser? This is one of the biggest points of debate in the author community. Today we hear from Claire Fraise and get her personal insights into plotting, and how the Plot Grid helps her to envision her stories and keep them on track. 
Claire Fraise is the author of five ghostly thrillers. She won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards and is active on her YouTube channel, where she records videos sharing resources and writing tips that helped her improve as a writer.
Claire graduated with a B.A. in English from Tufts University and now lives in Montana with her fiancé and two dogs. When she’s not sitting behind a computer thinking about murder, you can find her camping in the backcountry, on the back of a horse, or teaching her undersocialized rescue Chihuahua not to bite people.
Visit Dabblewriter.com to sign up for a 15 day free trial and try out the Plot Grid for yourself. 

Plotting Twists and Turns In Suspense Thrillers With Liv Constantine | SCC 231

Liv Constantine is the pseudonym of Lynne Constantine, an Edgar® Award-nominated, New York Times and internationally bestselling author. She is the co-author of The Last Mrs. Parrish, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, and her critically acclaimed books have been praised by the Washington Post, USA Today, the Sunday Times, People magazine, and Good Morning America, among many others, with more than two million copies sold worldwide. Her work has been translated into twenty-nine languages, is available in thirty-four countries, and is in development for both television and film. When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up with her Labrador and golden retriever, reading a good book or binge-watching the latest limited series.

Maintaining A Relationship With Your Readers With Nick Cole #IndieSummer | SCC 230

Nick Cole has built a rabid fan base that eagerly await new releases from him. He and his partner pioneered a successful business plan that allows them to embrace the Amazon ecosystem while also maintaining independence from the corporate world and sell direct to their readers.
Nick Cole is a former soldier and working actor living in Southern California. When he is not auditioning for commercials, going out for sitcoms or being shot, kicked, stabbed or beaten by the students of various film schools for their projects, he can be found writing books.
Nick's Book The Old Man and the Wasteland was an Amazon Bestseller and #1 in Science Fiction. 
In 2016 Nick's book CTRL ALT Revolt won the Dragon Award for Best Apocalyptic novel.
In 2018 Nick and his co-author, Jason Anspach, won the Dragon Award for The Savage Wars. Best MilScfi.
The Galaxy’s Edge Series and the Forgotten Ruin books have sold millions of copies.

Formatting and Page Layout With Josh Hayes #IndieSummer | SCC 229

Josh Hayes continues our #IndieSummer campaign with a chat about formatting and page layout for Indie Authors. Presentation matters, and how you present your work can have a tremendous impact on how people experience your work. 
A retired police officer, Josh Hayes is the author of the Valor Trilogy, the Tranquility series w/ Devon C Ford, Stryker’s War (Galaxy’s Edge), and The Terra Nova Chronicles w/ Richard Fox, along with numerous short stories.
His debut solo novel, Edge of Valor, was a finalist for the 2020 Dragon Award for Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel.
Ever since he watched his first Star Trek episode (TNG not OS), Josh has loved science fiction. Watching it, reading it, and writing it. He grew up a military brat, affording him the opportunity to meet several different types of people, in multiple states and foreign countries. After graduating high school, he joined the United States Air Force and served for six years, before leaving military life to work in law enforcement. During his time with the Wichita Police Department, Josh served as a patrol officer, bicycle unit, community policing officer, and was an assistant bomb technician on the Bomb Squad.
His experiences in both his military life and police life have given him unique glimpses into the lives of people around him and it shows through in the characters he creates. 
Josh is also the creator and president of Keystroke Medium, a popular YouTube show and podcast focused on the craft of writing. For the best author interviews, news, and craft discussion on the internet today, visit www.keystrokemedium.com or subscribe to their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/keystrokemedium. 
When Josh is not writing, he spends his time with his four children and his wife, Jamie. 
You can find out more about Josh and his writing at www.joshhayeswriter.com and join his fan club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/joshhayes

Making Your Book Stand Out With Exceptional Jacket Copy With Doug Landsborough #IndieSummer | SCC 228

This week we turn to jacket copy as we work our way through the #IndieSummer checklist. You've got a great book. Check. You've gotten an eye catching cover. Check. Now let's explore writing that jacket copy that will entice readers to click that buy button on your book.